In May we visited Monet's house and gardens at Giverny. In a word, beautiful.

These photos say to me, in the midst of grocery shopping, bike riding and getting the car towed because of 2 flat tires( nothing changes wherever you live), we are absorbing some indefinable french je ne sais quoi.. perhaps only visible to the trained eye, but Im working on the training part.

Been a very long coffee break; dont be fooled -its all hard work experiencing summer in Paris!

Some highlights.. Parc Herouval, an hour's drive out of Paris, kids running barefoot and plenty of low key fun.

Chic cafe in Le Bon Marche ( exceptionally chic store..)

Jardin Du Luxembourg where we heard more English spoken than in 10 mths. Sad to say this made the children very happy.OK so we're not global just yet.

The summer fete at the Tuileries : big thank you to Amber for going on crazy rides with the kids while I stayed on the ground. Totally wimped out,I know, but gorgeous hot day with the Louvre a fabulous backdrop to fairy floss and screaming.

Fireworks on the skyline at La Defense- for several nights around Bastille Day the sky was exploding with riotous colour and booming sound.

I know it's Paris- architecture, shopping, style on every street corner( mostly) but the summer skies from my balcony are completely distracting.

I will point the camera elsewhere- Normandy next week - but it's too enticing for now.

Deauville, acres of beach with an endless selection of perfect shells.

Which made it home with most of the sand they were dug out of...
Harmon on the railing top level of the Eiffel Tower; loving that 9 ft high mesh. Perfect spring day for surveying the wonders of Paris.


The antidote to modern .. Chateau Vaux le Vicomte, nearly 400 years old, serene and gracious.

The kids dressed up in 18th century outfits while we skipped through history- excellent idea!

Some wonderful creations at La Defense: which is all about modern, so Im always a bit disconcerted when I venture into this extraordinary aspect of Paris.

Soaring steel structures - can't help the alliteration -and a firm grasp of the 21st century..

Finally took the tribe to the Eiffel Tower- on a glorious spring afternoon, skies clear and a spectacular view. Its so impressive, whether we were chasing pigeons underneath or gazing across Paris from the Summit.( I was grateful for the protective wiring, given the attempts made by the 5 yr old to "see" our house ..)

Successful Parisien experience achieved.

Though Im still wondering if the kids has as much fun eating soft serve ice cream and playing hopscotch in the park?

Chateau Thoiry boasts a Safari Park - quite a novelty on Easter Weekend! We queued but no complaining, it was too much fun meeting an ostrich and a camel, beside the car. And driving out of Paris, seeing signs of spring in green fields. Every now and again I might need a break from the urban life.

An atrocious period of absence from The Blog. I think I went into hibernation.. . but its spring in Paris! All those rumours are true.. garden beds blooming, locals smiling, rich green parks and shimmering blue skies. Cafes starting to spill out onto the pavements..etc etc. Dont be envious, its still the domestic version of Paris that holds my attention: but yesterday Madame in the local Boulangerie greeted me like an old friend.. we must be settling!

Farewell to San Francisco in February; Oyster Point and a torrential downpour at the Zoo. Back to Paris in March, a final winter chill.